I’m going to keep this post pretty short and sweet. Mainly because I’m not a doctor and I hate having to write all those disclaimers to this effect:

Please note: I am not a doctor and will never be one. I only went to college for 4 years and majored in Youth Ministry. All opinions are my own and I cannot tell you how to safely wipe your nose. If you must wipe your nose or use herbs, please consult a doctor first, who went to school for a lot longer than me and really knows his stuff. Do not take medical advice from a stay-at-home youth ministry major who uses hankies instead of disposable tissues. Make sure to cough into your elbow pit and look both ways before crossing the street – but ask a doctor first.

I was first introduced to the idea of eating “Poorganic” from my blogging colleague, Katrina, over at The Poorganic Life. Mainly because she’s the first person to ever really define what “poorganic” means. After ruminating on this term for months and talking with Barry VERY REGULARLY, I’ve determined that our family is Poorganic too.

So, I’m coming out! I’m standing with Katrina! I’m saying THIS IS NOT A WHOLE FOODS BLOG. I am not a whole foods blogger. I am not part of the real food community. I’m an imposter. I’m a sheep in hot dog’s clothing. I am a frugal living blogger who blogs about food and life. I don’t really want to be lumped into the “whole foods/organic/clean eating” movement. Take me out, thank you.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (because repetition is the best form of learning), cheap and frugal are not the same thing. You can be cheap and not be frugal – and you can be frugal and not be cheap. I do have the tendency to be cheap with some things…but for the most part, I consider myself frugal. My parents have said that I’m tighter than Dick’s hatband, so I still sometimes have to tell my cheapness to take a hike. I want to save money, but I don’t want to be too cheap. Got it?

But what about you? Are you cheap or are you frugal? I’ll just go ahead and say that frugal is a better characteristic to have. If you are cheap, you can break free from that – just start small – see if you can buy something higher in price and quality with CASH without falling into the floor and foaming at the mouth. I am willing to set up email counseling sessions where I can walk you through this process and be your drill sergeant. SIR, YES SIR! [Read more…]

Several months ago, right after Andy was born, my friend Tia from Sweet T Photography told me about Pick Your Plum (Big Brother is watching, so I have to tell you that’s an affiliate link)…and I was hooked from the beginning. It’s become my FAVORITE Daily Deal site and I am eager to get my email from them each day.

Pick Your Plum is a daily deal site that focuses on things like: crafting, fashion, baking and home décor…and I LOVE IT. I’ve purchased a ton of things from them and I’ve always been pleased – the prices are exceptional and so is the customer service. [Read more…]

Y’all should know by now that I’m good at keepin’ it real. I don’t portray some kind of fairy-tale life here. We live in a dusty house – I hate to dust…so therefore I am waiting until Annie is old enough to do it for us. 😉

I don’t Spring clean – I never have. And I imagine I’m not the only one out there. So, today I’m going to tell you how I keep our home clean without doing it.

Also realize that “clean” is a relative term. As I sit here, I can see dust, dust bunnies, and dust elephants…and grass because Barry mowed last night. Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd, something over there in the corner that’s unrecognizable. But, my children are fed and happy – and I made a cake today – life is pretty much awesome. 🙂

Hop on over to Keeper of the Home to read about my cleaning methods. Here is just a little preview:

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…my goal in our home is to make sure we don’t live in a dump hole. At this stage of my life, with two little children and a messy dog, good enough has become good enough for me. When I’m 93, I won’t look back and say “Well honey, I sure do wish I had spring cleaned our house in 2013…I really missed out.” —> Read More

By far the dirtiest thing in this house when we bought it was the bathtub. It would make you cry just to look at it. No matter how long and hard I scrubbed it, it still looked dirty. I hated it. For Barry and me, this is our first time living somewhere with tile…and I gotta say, I’m not sure what the hullaballoo is about. I hate it.

Yes, I hate tile. I would rather have the stuff that’s all ONE piece instead of little cracks everywhere to clean. When you have children, little cracks just scream “Hey! Fill me up with something dirty…pretty please? Oh, and while you’re at it, would you run across me with wet feet, slip and fall down and cry bloody murder? Thanks.” Tile stinks. [Read more…]

There are certain things in life you just don’t want to give up: chocolate, soap, chocolate, underwear, chocolate, clothing, and chocolate…to name a few. In switching to our more natural lifestyle I’ve made the change from conventional toiletries very slowly. Switching to healthier eating came easy for me because I LOVE food and all the information that goes with it.

But, as I’ve read and learned more, I’ve come to realize that the stuff they use in conventional beauty items can be dangerous. But I obviously don’t want to give certain things up – like deodorant. No one wants to smell like B.O. So, we change a few things at a time. We’ve made the switch to natural soap and now we’ve also made the switch to natural deodorant.

I hear all to often that eating “healthy” is too expensive. When I was a coupon queen, I would have agreed 100% with you. But now I’m on the other side of things – I’ve been eating this way for two years now and I can honestly say that eating healthy is NOT too expensive. In fact, we can’t afford NOT to eat healthy. Otherwise, in years to come we’ll be paying out the wazoo for health care.

What do you think? Is eating a healthy diet worth the money?

For the longest time I would not share any of my family recipes…at all. When people would ask, I would always say no. I felt like I was protecting part of my heritage – these were recipes from my Mamaw and Mama – why should I share them with someone else? Go get your own recipe and leave me alone! It’s MINE! All mine! *Insert crazy, insane laughter here*

And let me just be honest here…I like that people enjoy my cooking. The thought that I would give someone a family recipe so that they could make it themselves didn’t sit well with me – it would mean it was their recipe now and I would no longer get praised for it since they could make it. Man, what a big ole fat head I have. I’m surprised I can fit it through the door. [Read more…]

Let’s be honest…there are times when I’m just lazy. I might run out of Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup and be too busy to make more…or too lazy. I try to always keep some in the freezer, but sometimes I run out. I know it’s quick and easy to whip up a batch, but I’ll be honest again. If I see a recipe that calls for it and I know I have to make some because I’m out – I pretty much nix that recipe. Can I get a witness?!

While I just love cooking, and don’t mind making the homemade cream of soup, sometimes I just can’t get around to it…and for those times, there is this lovely stand-in made with dried ingredients. Having this in the cabinet makes me feel like I can conquer any cream-of recipe! It also makes me feel like I need a casserole – casseroles are where it’s at. [Read more…]

I believe God created you to be the hero of your home. You CAN manage your home instead of it managing you. That’s why I empower women with simple solutions for their homemaking needs – because if it’s not easy, you won’t do it. {Read More…}

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I absolutely love your heartfelt writing. You make me smile, and I appreciate your candor, humor and righteous anger...even when you are mad :) My daughter needs to have you in her life and I am going to forward your site to her.

-Cora

YOU definitely make life better, easier and helpful!! So for all this I am thankful for you!!

-Carolyn

I am also very thankful for your writing!!! I've subscribed to many blogs, but yours is one I actually stop and read as soon as it hits my inbox. I love your authenticity and practical approach...and especially your humor....wish I'd had this 11 years ago when I first embarked on motherhood.

-Regan

I'm a longtime reader/follower. I have always appreciated how honest and real your writing is. I like not knowing what you'll write about next, and I like how sometimes you cover several topics in a post. You are funny and practical, and I've learned a lot from you (and Barry, too!) over the years. So, thank you!

-Tina

Thank you for putting your experience along with your sparky humor down to these posts! I even started to apply some of your tips into my days. :) I just started homeschool my first born and have three more so life gets busy and list of chores frustrating. So I just wanted to let you know That your posts refreshed one tired and uninspired mommy here in Czech republic!

-Linda

Stacy, you are oh-so relatable to me! I love the humor, but I really love the financial inspiration (debt-free since ’14!), the near-daily reminder that there are other children of God out there, and, of course, the food. Following you is a breath of fresh air.

Unfortunately, before the government will let me send you anything, you’ll need to check your email for a message I just sent you and confirm your subscription. This will also make sure you get the handy-dandy, free resource I promised.